


Party to the Secret (Identity)

by lalunaunita



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Birthday Party, Fluff, Gen, Identity Reveal, Illustrated, adrien figures it out, marinette is oblivious, secret santa gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 10:56:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13145196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalunaunita/pseuds/lalunaunita
Summary: Adrien discovers the identity of his Lady and helps her to keep it a secret.





	Party to the Secret (Identity)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Leisey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leisey/gifts).



> A gift for the wonderful Leisey, who writes amazing reveals and compelling feels! Have a wonderful holiday!  
> For the MBB Secret Santa 2017.

“Hey! Did they have any masks left?”

Adrien’s ears perked to Marinette’s familiar voice as he came around a bookcase in the library. She stood in front of a box decorations on a library table, sorting items into different piles. Max, Kim and several others scurried to and fro, hanging up streamers of crepe paper and shiny printed letters.

Adrien slapped the box of felt masks down next to a stack of old-fashioned pointy party hats. “It was the last pack. Remind me what we’re doing, again?”

Marinette giggled. “Nino was lamenting how we’re all too grown up now for kiddie birthday parties. You know, paper hats, silly masks, treat bags, pinata… that kind of thing. So we decided to throw one last childhood hurrah. Alya’s keeping him busy for us and then they have a ‘study date’ right here in about half an hour.”

Adrien pressed a hand to the back of his neck. “That’s right! It’s his birthday today. So glad I remembered to put his present in my bag.”

He plunked his satchel down on the expansive table and rifled through to find a book he’d selected for his best friend. Marinette tore off the cellophane casing on the box of masks.

Opening one end, she pulled the first mask out and rubbed a finger over the black felt. “These are perfect! Thanks, Adrien.”

Marinette held the mask up in front of her, exposing the back to Adrien. It was covered in thin red fabric with a tiny black polka dot pattern.

“Yeah, I thought the backing on the masks was kind of funny. Made me think of Ladyb-” he glanced up to see Marinette trying on a mask.

She’d accidentally reversed it, framing her eyes in a factory-random array of black spots on a red background. Ladybug’s wide blue gaze took in Juleka on a ladder as she secured the ties behind her head.

_Wait a minute - Ladybug!?_

Adrien barely swallowed a gasp of surprise as his two worlds collided in front of him. He peered at her more closely, noticing her freckles and the tilt of her chin below the party mask. Yes, this was definitely Ladybug. How had he never guessed?

A thousand memories revised themselves as Adrien stood rooted to the spot, staring. He managed to tone his expression down to perplexed before Marinette returned her attention to him. He cleared his throat.

“You’ve got it on backward, La- Mari. Here, you need to switch it around.”

Before anyone else could see her, Adrien spun Marinette by the shoulders and untied the cord, whipping off the incriminating felt with a sigh of relief. He leaned in close to her ear as he flipped the mask over to show her the backing.

“ _Purr_ -haps you should be more careful around these things, my Lady. It could’ve been a  _cat_ -astrophe,” he whispered in his best Chat Noir voice.

The look in Marinette’s eyes as she turned to face him made every battle, every bruise, and every yo-yo-induced concussion he’d ever suffered worth it.


End file.
